Ejecting mechanism for breakdown guns



2 Sheets-She 2.

Patented AMay 23,1899;

G. n. POTTER. A EJECTING MECHANISM FDR BREAKDOWN GUNS.

(N0 Model.)

Nrrn

GEORGE D. POTTER, OF SPOKANE, WASHINGTON.

EJECTING M ECHANI-SIVI FOR BREAKDOWN GUNS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 625,601, dated May 23, 1899.

Application filed August 31,1898. Serial No. 689,911. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE D. POTTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Spokane, in the county of Spokane and State of Vashington, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Breakdown Firearms; of which the following `is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates more especially to a breech-loading hammerless breakdown shotgun, and the object of the invention is to provideasimple and effective ejector mechanism.

In carrying out my invention I use an ejector-mechanism in conjunction -with an extractor and in such manner that the extractor and ejector may both be used or the 'extractor alone employed.

The extractor may be of any approved construction, and combined therewith is an ejector-hammer under the control of a spring and having a plunger which is brought into operative connection with the extractor-stem in certain conditions of the barrel, all as I will proceed now more particularly to set forth and nally claim. I

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, inthe'several figures of which like parts are similarly designated, Figure l is a longitudinal section of sufficient of a double-barrel shotgun to illustrate one form of my invention, the section being taken to show the left-hand-barrel mechanism and the parts being in position after firing and before the barrels are dropped to open the gun. Fig. 2 is a View similar to Fig. l, but omitting the lock mechanism and with the barrels dropped, the extractor partly projected, and the ejector-hammer at full-cock and on the point of release from the cooking-lever. Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 2 with the ejector mechanism in position after action,the extractor fully projected, and the ejector-plunger lying bethe loW extractor-stem and in position Where the gun may be closed for firing. Fig.4 Llis a bottom plan view of the ejector mechanism. Fig. 5 is an edge View and aside elevation of one of the ejector hammers and plungers. Fig. 6 is a side view and an edge view of the stirrup. Fig. 7is a section of the tensionlever and spring-hanger. Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. l, but omitting the lock mechanism and showing the tension-lever of the ejector mechanism reversed in order to throw the ejector mechanism out of operation and to enable the gun to be used with the extractor and without the ejector. Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 8, with the fore-end in the first position of mounting, the end of the tension lever bearing against the bottom rib of the barrels, the spring relaxed, and the trip of the ejector-hammer out of the way of the cooking-lever while mounting.

a is a part of the stock; a', the standing breech or break-oif; a2, the barrel-locking lever; a3, an ordinary iring-pin; a4, a tumbler or hammer; a5, a mainspring; a6, a stirrup pivoted to the hammer and connected with the mainspring; a7, a Sear cooperating in any usual manner with the bends of the tumbler, and as a cooking-rod. b is a cooking-lever journaled in the hinge-pin b and having a notch or hook b2 projecting through the slot b3 in the fore-end. c is the stationary positive extractor-post, and c the extractor-stem, having in it the notch c2, with which the extractorpostcoperates, and provided with any usual extractor-head. All these several parts may be of substantially the construction covered by my Patent BT07542494, granted July 9, 1895.

It will be understood, of course, that the 'mechanism for one barrel only need be described, inasmuch as it is duplicated for the other barrel.

In the present invention I employ an ejectorhammer d, having a hub d', which receives the pivot-pin d2. As shown more especially in Figs. 4 and 5, this ejector-hammer has a blade d3 projecting from its hub, and in this blade is fulcrumed the ejector-plunger e, the said plunger having a sort of knuckle-joint e with the blade d3 and being normally projected from the said blade by means of any suitable spring or combination of springs e2.

fis a stirrup pivoted in a recess f in the hub d and having a slight vibrator-y motion. This stirrup has at its upper end the crosshead f2. The hub d' is extended rearwardly and provided with a trip or hook h for coperation with the hook b2 of the cooking-lever.

i is a spring one end of which is forked to engage the cross-head f2 ofthe stirrup, the

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` piston extends through ahole in the fore-end other end of which may be secured in the fore-end iron j. The springs for the two barrels are supported in a hanger k, and this hanger has applied to it a piston l, the said piston being screwed into the hanger in order to adjust its effective length. This screwiron and has pivoted to it the tension-lever m, which is arranged between the bottom of the barrels and the top of the fore-end iron. A spring n surrounds the piston Zbetween the fore -end iron and the spring-hanger and serves to throw down the ejector-spring i and hold the ejector mechanism out of play, as illustrated in Fig. 9, while the parts are being assembled. The tension-lever 'm lies partly in a depression m in the fore-end ironj and between the bottom rib of the barrels and the fore-vend iron when the latter is in position. Said lever m preferably is of approximate rhombohedral form,with one corner lm2 rounded 0E and the angles of all of the corners taken ont circularly. A kerf m3, Fig. 7, is made in one end, and in this kerf is pivoted the piston l, thereby forming a fulcral point upon which the lever m turns against or upon the fore-end iron.

When the gun is assembled as in Fig. 1, with the tension-lever extending toward the muzzle of the barrels and the gun is fired, the cocking-rod, acting upon the cooking-lever b, throws the said lever forward and upward and causes its notch b2 to engage the hook h of the hub of the ejector-hammer, whereby the two are held in engagement. As the barrels are dropped to open the gun, as in Fig. 2, the cocking-lever is withdrawn back into the slot in the fore-end by reason of its eccentric bearing in the hinge-pin b, and consequently serves to revolve the ejector-hammer, by reason of its engagement with the hub d thereof, and brings said ejectorhammer into the cocked position illustrated in Fig. 2. When said ejector-hammer has been revolved to its cocked position, j ust described, the extractor-stem c', actuated by the positive (stationary) extractor-post c, has been moved rearwardly about one-half of its total throw, and the plunger e is thrown up by its'spring into engagement with a second notch 0 in the extractor-stem, and the hooks on the cooking-lever and the hub of the ejector-hammer are Jfully disengaged, and the ejector-hammer is revolved backwardly under the impulse of the ejector-spring v1, which motion being transmitted to the plunger effects a sudden movement of the extractor, oo mpletesthe throw thereof, and ejevcts the partly-extracted shell from the barrel. As the ejector-hammer revolves backwardly, as just'described, the front edge of the notch o, bearing down upon the plunger, gradually expels the said plunger from said notch, and at the completion of the throw of the ejector said plunger is fully expelled from said notchv andlies under and out of the channel of the extractor-stem, as shown in Fig. 3. If now the barrels be closed, the extractor strikes against the standing breech and is driven back into its original position, as in Fig. 1, and the plunger offers no resistance to such motion, and it will be observed as a peculiarity of my mechanism that the plunger e and the notch o in the extractor-stem only come into engagement when the said plunger and said extractor-stem are simultaneously moved in opposite directions. The gun having been cocked by the dropping of the cocking mechanism upon the cooking-lever, the latter drops to the dotted position, Fig. l, and when in this position and until the gun has been fired or the tumbler or hammer low'ered the said cooking-lever does not engage with or act upon the hub of the ejector-hammer when the gun is opened and closed, and therefore the ejector mechanism is inoperative, but the positive extractor operates in the usual manner.

The tension-lever m is so shaped that it automatically stands in the position shown in Fig. Sl'when the fore-end is detached from the barrels. When ready to assemble the par-ts as an ejectorgun, the said lever m, standing up, as shown in Fig. 9, allows the springs 7l to fall into a relaxed position and the ejector-hammer to revolve forward with its hook out of the way of the cooking-lever. In this position the fore-end maybe attached with the tumblers or hammers of the gun down and the cooking -levers thrown up. Vhen the fore-end, placed in this position, is pressed up against the barrels, the lever m is forced down upon the fore-end iron, as shown in Fig. l, and, its fulcrum-point bearing upon said fore-end iron raises the piston Z and its attached sp rin g-han ger and spr-in gs, and thereby puts said springs under tension and brings the ejector-hammers into position. (Shown in Fig. l.) It will be observed that the lever m by this arrangement admits of the fore-end being mounted when the tumblers or hammers are down and automatically puts the ejector-springs under tension.

When it is desired to use the gun as anonejector gun, the tension -lever m may be turned down backward upon the fore-end iron, as illustrated in Fig. 8, and when the fore-end is then mounted under the barrels theejector mechanism remains out of engagement with and is not acted upon by the cocking-lever, but the positive extractor still performs its function.

For a further and detailed description of the cooking-lever reference is made to my patent hereinbefore referred to.

vIt will be seen thatthe plungers operate in vertical slots in the fore-end iron and that the cross-heads of the` stirrups f strike the under side of the fore-end iron in the upward movement of the ej coter-hammers, and thereby limit the throwof the said stirrups and the attached hammers and springs, thereby lpreventing the hook h of the hub d andthe hook b2 of the cooking-lever b from striking IOO IIO

together, the cross-head of the stirrups striking the fore-end iron on one side of the slots in same.

IVhat I claim isl. In a breech-loading breakdown gun, a fore-end iron, a lever appliedto such fore-end iron, an ejector-spring and mechanism connecting the lever and spring whereby saidk spring is put under tension when the fore-end is pressed into position on the barrels. l

2. In a breech-loading breakdown gun, an ejector, a fore-end iron, a reversible lever on such fore-end iron, an ejector-spring and mechanism connecting said lever and spring, whereby when said lever stands in one position, said spring is put under tension-and when in another position said spring and ejector are held out of play when the fore-end is placed in position on the barrels.

3. In a breech-loading breakdown gun, a fore-end iron, an extractor having a notched stem, and an ejector-hammer pivoted in the fore-end and having a spring-pressed plunger jointed thereto and adapted to rise and engage with the notch in the extractor-stem when said ejector-hammer is cocked, and by said notch to be tripped and disengaged from said extractor-stem when the ejector-hammer falls.

4. In'a breech-loading breakdown gun, the

combination with the fore-end iron, of a tension-lever, mounted upon the said fore-end iron, a piston pivoted to said lever,.a spring, and a spring-hanger adjustably attached to the lower end of said piston, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. In a breech-loading breakdown gun, the combination with the fore-end iron, of a tension-lever mounted on the fore-end iron and adapted to be depressed by contact with the bottom rib of the barrels when the fore-end isl mounted thereon.

6. In a breech-loading breakdown gun, the combination with the fore-end iron, and an ejector-hammer, of a tension-lever, springhanger and spring, connected to hold the ej ector-hammer retracted and clear of the cocking-levers until the fore-end is placed in position.

7. In a breech-loading breakdown gun, the combination of a tension-lever, a plunger and aspring-hanger, with an ejector-spring, an ejector-hammer and a connecting-stirrup, substantially1 as described.

8. In a breech-loading breakdown gun, the combination of a tension-lever, a piston, a coiled spring surrounding said piston and a spring-hanger, substantially as described.

9. In a breech-loading breakdown gun, the combination of a tension-lever, a piston, a coiled spring surrounding said piston and a spring-hanger with an ej ector-spring, an ejector-hammer having a jointed plunger and a connecting-stirrup, substantially as and for the purpose described.

l0. In a breech-loading breakdown gun, the combination of an ejector-hammer, an ejectorspring and a stirrup attached to said spring and pivoted to the ej ector-hammer, the upper end of said stirrup being adapted to strike the under side of the fore-end iron and so limit the throw of said stirrup and attached hammer and spring.

GEORGE D. POTTER.

Vlitnesses:

GEO. M. FoRsTER, E. MAUsETH. 

